NEVER TOO SMALL- Light Filled Heritage Paris Apartment, 40sqm-430sqft
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For the architecture, the owners wanted to be at the heart of Paris and feel its history.
This apartment is owned by Céline and Henri, a yoga teacher and a pilot.
They moved away from Paris three years ago to settle in a big house in the southwest of France.
What is always challenging in this kind of building is that you don't have any straight angle.
Everything was made to measure or built from scratch.
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I have my socks and underwear, one pair for each day, in this handy built-in packing cell.
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Utterly satisfied.
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The apartment is located in the 5th arrondissement between the Panthéon and the Jardin du Luxembourg.
The owners chose the flat mainly for its location.
It's a pretty touristic area, but the Malbranche Street is very quiet.
The main idea was to make the most of the space by highlighting the high ceilings.
They wanted to give it an elegant Parisian feel with rich materials and serene colors.
I used a lot of mirrors to reflect the light, as well as glass partitions between the rooms to let the light pass through.
There was a small hallway by the entrance.
The flat had two bedrooms and surprisingly no living room.
During the renovation, we got rid of all the partition walls, except for the main wall dividing the apartment in two.
And we created a glass wall between the kitchen and bedroom to help brighten it up.
Finally, we moved the wall of the bathroom to gain extra space for the new laundry.
The entrance is an open space between the living room and the kitchen.
Behind the bench between the entrance and dining area, there is a surface for keys when you walk into the apartment and some storage.
I added a wardrobe with two large mirror doors for coats and shoes.
It also reflects the light coming from the windows.
We used big beige tiles in the kitchen to signify the start of a new area.
The client wanted a darker color to contrast with the light walls.
It makes the kitchen feel elegant.
On the side of the dining area, we created a wooden glass partition between the kitchen and the bedroom.
It has helped to make this dark kitchen feel a lot brighter, especially during the day.
The custom bench fits two people and can be opened like a chest to store cushions or bottles.
The kitchen is along the back wall.
It has everything you need, an induction hob, a dishwasher, an oven and a comfortable sink.
We have lots of storage above and below, with some open storage for plates and bowls.
We chose mirror for the splashback to give the sense of a large space, but also used it to help hide a beam that we couldn't move.
All the kitchen cabinets have been designed and made to measure, as the dimensions of the kitchen didn't fit with standard cabinets.
The smeg fridge was from the owner's previous home, so we had to design the area to fit this fridge.
There was some leftover space, so we added wine storage to fill in the gap.
In front of the dining area, we added additional storage and shelves for the dishes and cutlery.
We used the same quartz countertop as the kitchen.
We wanted the space to be usable for any kitchen appliances.
The toilet was originally next to the kitchen, but after the changes, we felt the entrance to the toilet should be rotated to create a more discreet space.
We chose white ceramic freestanding toilets and white walls and floors.
The wall lamp and its pink glishy glass creates a warm light in this small space.
The living space has two big windows that bring in a lot of natural light.
The sofa is placed in a corner by the bathroom wall and can be converted into a bed for guests.
A glass partition between the two spaces creates a decorative feature.
The floors were the original wooden oak floors which we refurbished.
The blinds are white linen, so does not completely black out the room, but still provides some privacy.
We added a series of bookshelves using the dead space under the window.
The heaters also play an aesthetic role.
They are electric, but have a retro design and their height makes them stand like statues in the apartment.
We accessed the bedroom through a hidden door in the living room.
As we walk in, we are immediately filled with the light from the window, which is reflected in the giant mirror from the wardrobe doors.
There is a queen-sized bed on the other side of the room.
We straightened the wall behind it, which created a bedhead and a surface for items.
Unlike the living room, we chose blackout curtains for the bedroom, so you can really get a good night's rest.
The ceiling and the top of the walls are painted in a warm Indian yellow.
I always like to paint the upper part of the wall in the same color to help reduce the sense of height in the bedroom, which makes it feel more cozy.
I think my favorite part in this apartment is the bathroom, because it was really the most cramped space and my clients were completely lost when they saw it.
They didn't know what to do with it.
The result is quite astonishing and it's probably the best place for them to be in this flat.
The washbasin is made to measure in Corian with a cloud finish.
We used beige matt tiles for the shower, which gives it an Amman feeling.
The long shape also allowed us to create a bench to relax while showering.
We decided not to have any door and to keep it open.
We added a built-in cupboard for the new laundry.
It contains the washing machine, a dryer and a water heater.
Small spaces are often the most challenging projects.
They require smart ideas to combine aesthetics and functionality into a compact area.
I like to start from these limitations and push the solutions as far as possible to create dramatic spaces.